Php json_encode returns "??????" instead of unicodes?

Question

I am new to php and I am trying to create an API service out of it. I have saved the data in Nepali language in the database but when trying to print the json using json_decoded it returns "???????" characters.

This is what is stored in db:

This is what is printed:

and this is my code:

header('Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8');

// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
  die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}

$sql = "SELECT * FROM example";
$sth = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
$rows = array();
while($r = mysqli_fetch_assoc($sth)) {
    $rows[] = $r;
}
print json_encode($rows);
$conn->close();

So whats the error here? My database collaction is "utf8_general_ci".

You need to set connection charset. `$conn->set_charset('utf8mb4')` — Dharman, Dec 29 '20 at 16:30
The data was probably lost on the way in. See "question mark" in https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38363566/trouble-with-utf8-characters-what-i-see-is-not-what-i-stored — Rick James, Dec 30 '20 at 05:04

Kyobul · Answer 1 · 2020-12-29T13:49:08.490

-1

Assuming that your database is set to UTF-8 the problem probably is that you are not properly setting your sql connection. After establishing connection to your server you should do :

mysqli_query($conn, "SET NAMES 'utf8' COLLATE 'utf8_general_ci'");

edited Dec 29 '20 at 13:49

answered Dec 29 '20 at 12:43

Kyobul

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Better to do `$conn->set_charset('utf8');`. Besides the connection as (first) argument is missing on your mysqli_query call. – julp Dec 29 '20 at 13:19
You're right, in the procedural query mysqli connection is mandatory. – Kyobul Dec 29 '20 at 13:49
I will try this as soon as I am at my computer. – Sulav Parajuli Dec 29 '20 at 14:32
Don't use SET NAMES. Also, `utf8` has been deprecated for 10 years. – Dharman Dec 29 '20 at 16:31
@Dharman what should I do then? – Sulav Parajuli Dec 30 '20 at 15:12
@SulavParajuli See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/65489329/php-json-encode-returns-instead-of-unicodes/65492334?noredirect=1#comment115793186_65489329 – Dharman Dec 30 '20 at 15:14

Php json_encode returns "??????" instead of unicodes?

1 Answers1